Murdo Girl…

Day two of the minima…list. That’s a combo word that fits what is going on here. I am reducing clutter and getting rid of accumulations by setting and following through with my SMART goals. Smart goals are specific, measured, achievable, realistic, and timed.

Yesterday, I cleaned out my closet, and filled a bag with clean, seasonal clothes that were in good condition. I threw in a purse and some costume jewelry. I have more clothes, currently in storage, that will have to find a new home, too. It wasn’t easy to give up my things. I have never gotten rid of clothes that were still in good shape, fit, and were still in style. I knew I was going to have to move the bag out of here quickly before I had second thoughts and started to dig through it for things I wasn’t sure I could part with. (Notice I said could, not should. I know that I should, but can I do this?)

In a few weeks, I’ll receive an email from Thred Up telling me how much they’re going to give me for my bag. I can donate the money, keep it, or use it as a credit to purchase things from Thred Up. Since it won’t be that much, I will keep the money and use it to do something nice for someone. I will not buy more clothes with it.

I already experienced the benefit of fewer clothes in the closet. It took me two minutes this morning to decide what to wear. I had cleared out about two-thirds of what was in my closet and drawers. I should take the things I have in storage directly to a resale shop or send them to Thred Up without even looking at them, but I’m not that brave. The shoes are my biggest challenge. I hate to just keep the comfortable ones. Can I keep the cute ones, too and just wear them for short periods of time? NO!!

We all know being a minimalist involves more than cutting out extra clothing. We have to cut out extra everything. I will have to make more minima…lists which will tackle, paper, kitchen items, and what I refer to as props and “put around stuff.”

I don’t want to get too far ahead of my skis, though. Many of you know my cousin, Valerie. She spends a few months each school year testing kids. She said, yesterday, she was telling a first grader he was so smart, he could be a scientist, or a doctor, or even a lawyer. He said, “I just want to learn to color inside the lines.”

We must move quickly, but we can’t throw out the baby with the bath water. We can’t study everything for hours, but we must, at least, look at it.

Are we having fun yet? After completing our second minima…list, we will give ourselves a reward.

** They started the corrections to the foundation of the tiny home yesterday afternoon. They need to learn how to color inside the lines…